


Possession

by victoriandancer



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Assassin AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:46:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21972304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriandancer/pseuds/victoriandancer
Summary: Maka Albarn is the best assassin in the Assassin's Guild led by Franken Stein. They keep Death City in order right under the nose of King Death himself. Stein rules with an iron fist and what he says goes. When Maka and her partner, Soul, are sent on a strange mission to assassinate a high ranking official who isn't acting normally, they realize there is an entire magical world hidden to them. This magical world is killing people, and Maka can't be sure they'll be able to save the city, let alone themselves.
Relationships: Black Star/Nakatsukasa Tsubaki, Maka Albarn/Soul Eater Evans
Kudos: 17
Collections: Soul Eater Resonance Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my entry for Resbang 2019! I worked with some wonderful artists this year so please go check them out!
> 
> Addie: https://addiedraws.tumblr.com/post/189883985732/possession-resbang-2019-maka-albarn-is-the 
> 
> Auri: Link 2

_One.  
Two.  
Three.  
Four._

Each hit of the straw dummy reverberated through her fists, up her arm, and dissipated through her shoulders. The wrappings around her fingers were starting to fray, and sweat dripped down her back under her tunic. 

_Five.  
Six.  
Seven.  
Eight._

With each hit, the world blurred around her. The dust swirling in her eyes didn’t sting. The sun beating down didn’t burn her skin. She didn’t know how long she was out there, hitting the dummy over and over again. It could have been minutes. Hours. Days. All that existed was the straw dummy and her own power.

The sun started to sink behind the manor house and cast the training ring in shadows. Maka started to feel the sting in her eyes from the sweat dripping down her forehead. Her breath came in heavy pants and her legs quivered. The dummy, which she had stuffed this morning, barely had any straw left. It settled in a ring around the dummy, having been pushed through the rough burlap.

“Did you kill it?” The male voice called out to her from the kitchen’s rear door. He leaned against the door jamb, forcing the door to prop open behind him. Thick white hair spilled over his red eyes, which inspected her with more clarity than she was comfortable with. 

The sounds of dinner being prepared spilled out towards her, beckoning her inside to comfort.

“If only I could,” she murmured, unwrapping her hands. The bandages fell away to reveal scarred, calloused hands.

“Who were you imagining?”

“What do you want, Soul?” she faced him, but refused to step closer. She wasn’t quite sure she could refrain from hitting him if he said something particularly stupid.

“It’s almost dinner time. You know he’ll want you to be there.” Soul’s signature smirk spread across his face. “He’s got an assignment for us.”

“About time.” she finally uprooted her feet and glided toward him, leaving the bandages for a servant to pick up later. They’ll restuff the dummy too for the trainees who will occupy the ring in the morning. “I want to practice some new maneuvers I’ve been developing recently.”

“You do know we’re supposed to practice new moves _before_ we go risk our lives, right?” he stepped up beside her and let the door shut, following half a step behind as they crossed into the western wing towards their bedrooms. Partners always had rooms near each other. They tended to not tolerate anyone else near their sleeping arrangements. Separating the teams raised morale and decreased casualties.

“There’s no way I can accurately gauge if a maneuver will be effective against people who received the same training I did. I need an unbiased partner.”

“Maka!” Soul put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “The last time you ‘tested a maneuver’ I had three broken ribs!”

Maka slowly lifted his hand off and placed it at his side. “Yes, but I didn’t cause that particular injury.” She was fighting a smile, and _damn it_ , Soul could see it.

His entire demeanor relaxed. He tilted his head and the smirk was back. “Details. Our target was reacting to your ‘new maneuver’ and managed to break _my_ ribs instead of yours.”

“I don’t tell you to get in the way!”

“And I won’t let you fight someone a foot taller than you on your own. It’s not what partners do.”

And here was their stalemate. She knew he recognized her skill and ability to fight her own battles, but he refused to let her to _anything_ on her own if it involved any risk to her life. It didn’t matter that their job risked their lives on a regular basis.

Time for a subject change. “Go to your own room.” she shoved him down the hall when she reached her own door.

“But your bathroom is so much bigger!” Soul turned and avoided her gentle push (they had different opinions on what to call her attempts at privacy). 

“Then ask Stein for a new room. We all know the room next to Black Star has a giant bathroom.”

“No bathroom is big enough to deal with him. I’d murder him before the first night was over.”

“Fair,” Maka smiled at him and slipped into her own room, locking the door before he could follow her in. Soul was her partner and her friend, but she was NOT required to share her spacious bathroom. 

Sometimes it paid to be the best assassin in the Guild.

**********************************************************************

Maka dressed in the only clean tunic and pants she could find; both were such a dark blue they were almost black. They were a gift from a previous client who had been _very_ relieved to find out her piece of shit, aggressive, violent husband was no longer among the living.

The table in the opulent dining room was set for at least ten people, complete with fine china and polished silver. Maka knew what each fork was for, but she doubted anyone else bothered to remember the years of etiquette training Stein forced them to endure.

Frank Stein, commander of the Death City Assassins Guild sat at his normal position at the head of the table. His prematurely grey hair covered some of the scars criss-crossing his face, but not all. He always wore a white coat and white pants, marking a stark contrast when Maka sat down at his right. Soul strolled in after her-- _when had he even started following her? He was quieter than a damn cat!_ \--and sat to her right. Across from her sat a red-haired man she would prefer to avoid at all costs, but it was difficult when “family dinner” was required if you were in town.

“Spirit, I’ll need to see you after dinner to discuss an assignment you might have to take on solo,” Stein murmured to him, but Maka heard every word. Wasn’t Stein supposed to be talking to her and Soul after dinner? _Please don’t let Spirit be in on that meeting! I can’t stand his constant efforts for attention._

“How did you know I didn’t have plans?” Spirit teased, but everyone knew he would be there. No one ignored a summons from Stein.

Maka’s fears were confirmed when Stein ignored Spirit’s comment and continued, “Maka, Soul. I expect you there as well.” She had to suppress the groan that wanted to escape her chest.

Soul only gave a nod, focused on his food. Maka wasn’t sure what was eating at him, but she had a funny feeling he knew more than he was letting on. How did he know Stein had a mission for them? He _never_ told of missions before dinner.

The multi-course meal moved along as normal, grating on Maka’s skin like rough sandstone. She hated acting like a family with these murderers and cut-throats. If she wanted loyalty, she would join the pirate gang in the southern islands. Too bad they didn’t want her.

“Heeeelllllooooooooooooo minions!” 

“Black Star! There’s no need to announce how late we are!”

“These suckers would never start dinner without me!”

“Black Star…”

Black Star and Tsubaki’s quieter voice drifted in before the dining room doors burst open, hitting the walls and causing dust to rain down around them. There goes dessert.

“Tsubaki, will you kindly grab a servant to bring out more servings of pudding?” Stein’s voice cut through Black Star’s rant. He was always going on about being the best, and Stein never tolerated it in his presence.

It was good that Stein said something, because the last time this happened, Maka was about 10 seconds away from murdering the blue-haired menace right over the main course.

“Black Star, sit down. You’ve failed another assassination and I have the mind to kick you out here and now.” Stein’s voice was calm, collected. However, his furious eyes dripped pure intent. He might actually do it this time.

“How can I fail when the guy was dead in the end? We get paid no matter how it happens!” Black Star’s grin was evidence that he was clueless towards Stein’s very real threat to kick him out. 

No one is kicked out of the Assassin’s Guild. Not alive, anyway.

“Bringing the city guard to the scene of the crime is not an assassination! We are paid to be discreet and subtle. You manage to break every single rule we have.” Stein’s hand went under the table while Black Star continued to cackle. Tsubaki’s entrance into the dining room prevented him from throwing the knife hidden in his jacket.

Even Maka knew not to mess with Tsubaki. Even if Black Star was obnoxious and threatened their entire livelihood, Tsubaki was clever and a genius with weaponry. If she found out you hurt her partner? You’d be dead before morning. Stein might be able to fight her off, but even he knew not to cause a scene in the dining room where Tsubaki just might kill someone else in the mayhem.

“Black Star lives another day,” Soul muttered and took a bite of his pork. “One of these days Stein will send Tsubaki on a solo mission so he can off Black Star without her around. Maybe he’ll have a shot of convincing her it was an accident before relocating her _far_ away from any of us.”

“I don’t want her relocated. She’s the only one who’s not afraid to talk to me.” Maka kept her eyes on her plate, ignoring the antics around her. There may not be friends in an assassin’s guild, but Tsubaki came very close. Could she consider Soul close to being her friend? Partners didn’t always mean friends.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it today. Tomorrow? Well, we’ll see then.” Soul dug into his meal, cutting Maka off from replying even if she had wanted to. 

She didn’t.


	2. Chapter 2

“Thank you for stopping by.” 

As if they had any choice in the matter.

Maka, Soul, and Spirit stood in front of Stein’s desk where he scribbled away at documents. The desk was tilted so no one could see what he was working on. No advantages to be had there.

“I have an assignment for you. I usually don’t like teams of more than two, but this is an exception. It will take two members to actually dispatch the target while one acts as a distraction.”

Maka glanced at Soul just before he asked, “Why two for the kill? Maka and I are perfectly capable of distracting and killing without any help.”  
Surprisingly, the comment warmed her heart. She may tolerate Soul on a good day, but he just earned a few brownie points from her with that tidbit of confidence. “Is there something wrong with this target?”

“Possibly,” Stein set his quill down and spun in his chair. The chair was his own invention, the seat sits on a point that can spin 360°. He was always grumbling about adding wheels so he could scoot around his office without getting up. “There’s talk about odd behavior. Where he used to be boisterous and drunk, he’s become very quiet and calculating. He thinks before he speaks. All in all, an improvement, but this change in personality means we cannot predict how he would react to an assassination if things don’t go according to plan.”

“Which means we need to watch each other’s backs even more.” Soul looked at Spirit and then Maka.

“Both of us need to be in the same room to contain him and any guards.” Maka was more speaking to herself than any of them present. “He needs to be dealt with quietly, which means no one can interfere in the middle. He might use them to get away from us.”

“And we don’t want any witnesses. Our contract holder specifically said it needs to look like an accident. Falling out of his window would have been perfect before he changed, but now he doesn’t even open the windows anymore and has increased security in his manor.” Stein spun again. “That’s where Spirit comes in. He’ll distract the guards and the guests at the New Year’s gala while you two corner the target in his office.”

Soul stiffened at the mention of the gala. No doubt his estranged family would be in attendance of the greatest royal party every year. “And who might this target be?”

“Chancellor Wyatt Sorenson. He’s in charge of the judiciary system of Death City and reports directly to King Death. His former personality left him pretty useless, but crime rates in Death city are so low that he was able to get away with it. Now, he’s got the focus to actually do his job, and it’s no wonder there are people in Death City who don’t want that.”

Soul’s relief was apparent that their target was not any of his family. “Why are we just being notified now? The party is in three days. That’s not enough time for us to gather the info we need to actually pull this off.”

Maka watched Stein’s eyes flick to her before pushing forward the document he had been working on. “I’m going to ask you to trust me. I’ve been gathering information on the Chancellor ever since his personality changed. Here are the guard rotation schedules and the numbers. Information on the party guests, times, and scheduled events are coming this afternoon. In the meantime, I want you two to go get fitted for the party at the tailor. You have an appointment tomorrow morning.”

Maka visibly bristled, which may have annoyed her more than Stein’s assumptions about her schedule. “I won’t need a dress. I won’t be anywhere near the party.”

“From my information, you’ll need to get to his office through the party. I can’t have two obvious assassins just walking in the front door, so you’ll be posing as foreign guests. The obvious way would be for you to be a marriage prospect for the young prince, but as he’s never shown a romantic interest in anything living, you’ll have to do without that ruse.”

That got a chuckle out of Soul, which cut off quickly when Maka glared at him. “Why can’t we sneak in like normal? The plans to the manor you have there clearly show the window to his office.”

“The window has been sealed shut for two weeks now. I even had Black Star try to get in. That’s why he was late yesterday.” Stein sighed. “You’ll have to get in the hard way, then head upstairs while Spirit distracts everyone else.”

“And what would you have me do?” Spirit asked, strangely serious in the face of this conversation. Has he ever gone silent when Maka was going to be in clear danger? This mission was obviously out of the norm for her. She never went undercover at anything conspicuous like a party.

“You’re going to schmooze the Evans party before starting a brawl. I’ve heard Mrs. Evans is quite the beauty. With your reputation, it won’t be hard to get the husband or the eldest son to come to blows over her honor.”

Soul turned for the door. As always, he never stuck around to discuss the family that abandoned him. 

“Soul.” Stein’s voice cut through Spirit’s argument that his reputation wasn’t that bad. “You’ll complete this mission.”

“Yes, I’ll complete the mission, but not for you.” He walked out.

Maka waited for approximately 3 seconds before sweeping up the notes on Stein’s desk and following Soul out. She never went undercover. She had a system of infiltrating secure buildings and that system worked. How was she supposed to hide weapons under a dress? Soul would have no problems in a suit, but Death City fashion included enough bare skin for the entire city to be deemed a brothel. 

“I’m gonna have to carry your weapons.” Soul’s voice found her from around the corner where he waited. They always leave meetings together, so it’s no surprise he waited even though he had rudely walked out on Stein.

What would Stein do about it? Soul’s done it before and been punished. Obviously it hadn’t been a deterrent to doing it again. 

Maka kept walking, her destination in mind. Soul fell into step beside her, their routine set. Once they had walked outside and found the grove off to the side of the training field, they sat on the bench to discuss their plan. Pick a country that no one would have visited but may be interested in visiting Death City. They would be cousins of royalty thinking of starting a business venture. They would have to dye Soul’s hair so he wasn’t recognized by his family. Spirit would have to be unrelated to their rouse so no one would look for them once he started the brawl. They would socialize but with no one important. Their absence couldn’t be noted once the party got back in swing. 

“I’ll see you in the morning for the fitting?” Soul asked, stretching as Maka stood. 

“Yup. Bright and early. We’ll go stake out the Chancellor’s manor after. Stein’s notes say he should be out on errands all day. The guardhouse may not be too busy since he won’t be in. Think we can get in and look for the security plans for the party?” It was a rhetorical question. In their world, you either did what you had to in order to complete a mission or you never came home.

“We’ll get a look at the plans. I want to know how many we’re going to have to take out on our way through the manor.”

“It might be easier to take them out with gas, at least on the floor with the Chancellor’s office. Then we’ll be sure we didn’t miss anyone,” Maka said.

“Think Stein has a gas that will linger in the hall for a bit of time? Then if anyone comes to check they’ll be knocked out too.”

“Good idea. I’m sure he has something. We might as well knock out the Chancellor too. It’s not like we need to get information out of him.” Soul tried to waltz into Maka’s room, but her hand on his chest was the only warning he got. Easily side-stepping her kick to his shins. She closed the door before he could tell her “Good night.” _She’ll come around one day._


	3. Chapter 3

The night of the party was beautiful. The sky was clear, the temperature was perfect, and _still_ Maka couldn’t stand the dress she was wearing. Silver gemstones cascaded down her hips in a silky skirt trimmed with a soft green border. The top was a one-sleeved crop that extended down her arm in a sweep of silver satin to her wrists. The other arm and shoulder were as bare as her midriff. What designer thought this was an acceptable gown to wear to any function? If she moved the wrong way, she just might extend the slit up her leg all the way to her hip.

She was just closing her door when Soul stepped out of his room, looking immaculate as always in a tuxedo. She had seen him wear one before, but every time the breath _wooshed_ out of her lungs and her eyes couldn’t leave the breadth of his shoulders, the perfectly ironed straight slacks, and his hair combed into submission. Finding his eyes on her with an equally astonished look on his face broke the spell. Darting her eyes to the very interesting wall next to him, she waited until he approached.

“Ready?” he asked, offering his arm. The suit was so well-designed she couldn’t see the knives hidden under the sleeves. They were attached to an apparatus that allowed the knives to be released with a flick of his wrist to be grabbed by either himself or Maka if needed. Stein’s invention, of course. 

She nodded and took his arm. Their steps echoed down the hall until they reached the front door. Black Star leaned against the frame and Spirit was outside next to the two carriages.

“I’ll wait approximately 2 hours before starting with Mrs. Evans. I don’t even know if the Chancellor will show his face. Rumor has it he hasn’t been attending any of his own functions for the past few weeks. Be careful.” Spirit opened the carriage door for Maka to step into. “You look lovely.”

She narrowed his eyes at him. “Stay focused. You can’t be seen watching us. Nothing can connect you to us.” She stepped into the carriage.

Spirit didn’t reply, but Black Star stepped up. “Something’s wrong with that man. Stay sharp.”

“Will do.” Soul fist-bumped him and stepped into the carriage after Maka. Soon enough, they were rolling down the drive and into Death City.

The manor was magnificent. The food decadent. The dancing delicate. All in all, the party was phenomenal.

Maka hated every second.

Parties weren’t her thing. She couldn’t stand the schmoozing, the small talk, the politics. Give her a knife and she’ll handle any problem walking through the door. Unfortunately, this dress didn’t allow for any concealment of the weapons necessary for that fantasy.

Round and round and round they danced. Soul was an excellent partner on the dance floor. He was the perfect leader for Maka. She could close her eyes and lose herself in the sensation of spinning and he would guide them across the floor. They would never physically touch another couple. 

After spinning to her heart’s content, her mind was in the perfect headspace for a kill. All they needed now was for Spirit to start flirting with Mrs. Evans, Soul’s mother. They didn’t have to wait long.

“Get away from my mother, you sleeze!” Wes Evans, Soul’s older brother didn’t wait for Spirit to obey before punching him in the jaw. Maka wouldn’t be sorry for him tomorrow when he had a bruise.

“You stay out of this!” Spirit’s voice carried as conversation in the ballroom stopped. Even knowing this was all (mostly?) an act, Maka still cringed at the reputation her father had earned for himself. 

Seeing Mr. Evans arrive on scene, Soul abruptly turned from the spectacle. “Time to go,” he murmured, guiding Maka through the crowd. No one paid them any mind. 

As soon as they turned a corner into a deserted hallway, Maka slipped off her shoes and abandoned them in a potted plant. They silently rushed up the stairwell. Her unease grew as they travelled down hallways empty of guards.

“Where are they?” she whispered, pausing before peering around another corner. Another empty hallway.

“Maybe responding to the commotion downstairs?”

“They should still at least leave someone up here!”

Maka knew the look on Soul’s face. He was debating abandoning the mission and coming back another day. The lack of guards put him on edge, and their whole plan may be unusable if they were interrupted with the Chancellor.

“No, we’re finishing this tonight,” Maka declared, moving ahead through the hallway to the last door on the left. Chancellor Wyatt Sorenson’s office.

Soul counted down silently from three before kicking in the door. One of the daggers from his suit found its way into Maka’s hand as she rushed into the office, only to find it empty. 

“I knew something was up! Come on, we’re leaving.” Soul didn’t have a chance to grab Maka before the door closed and bolted shut. A camouflaged pocket door opened and the Chancellor stepped through alone. The door closed behind him. He wasn’t particularly tall, and his combed-over grey hair didn’t help to add to his height. He wore a simple black suit with no tie. He obviously hadn’t planned on attending his own party. 

“Well, well, I wasn’t expecting company,” he said, reaching for a bell-pull.

Maka didn’t pause to consider that this wasn’t a trap. She sprang forward and held the knife to his wrist. “Sit down, Chancellor.”

Soul eyed Maka, wanting to leave this strange mission, but she was already too far into the room. He slid along the wall to the pocket door and engaged the lock. “Thank you for making this a private meeting.” 

The chancellor slowly moved his hand away from the bell-pull that would have called the guards. “May I have the pleasure of knowing the names of my guests?” he asked, his eyes flicking between Maka in front of him and Soul behind him.

“No, you don’t,” Maka said, nodding her head to his chair. He sat with the same careful slowness, but kept his focus on Maka. 

“You don’t want to be here. Whatever you were paid, I will double it.”

“We don’t abandon contracts.” Maka said, and the Chancellor’s lips widened into a grin.

“Is that so? Well then, I can’t have you leaving here alive!”

Maka jerked back when his eyes flooded with black, blotting out his natural iris and sclera. Before she could recover, shadows leapt up in front of her and drops of blood flew. The cut on her cheek wasn’t deep but it bled freely.

“Maka!” Soul cried, launching himself at the Chancellor only to be stopped by a similar shadow springing up.

The Chancellor stood and cackled loudly. “Your _contract_ failed to mention that two measly assassins would never be enough to take me down!” The room was enveloped in black, blocking out the exits and the light.

Maka found her footing and closed her eyes, knowing they would be useless anyway. She was quite a few yards away from him now, and she needed to get in close and end this fight before it went any more sideways. Soul’s cry of pain spurred her even faster. She had trained for situations just like now by learning to sense the space around her without her sight, but nothing prepared them for shadows that could jump and _hurt_ you. 

Another shadow sliced through her calf. A third tried to wrap around her arm but she ripped off the sleeve of her dress and it fell away. Within seconds she was at the Chancellor’s chair again and her knife ramming into his chest. He hadn’t even seen her coming, even if the shadows had been trying to protect him.

“The contract is fulfilled,” she said as the darkness melted away and revealed the room once again. Black blood poured from the Chancellor’s chest and Maka staggered back. “What is that?” 

“I don’t know,” Soul coughed from where he knelt on the floor and some blood leaked from his lips. “But we need to go. _Now._ ”

“Soul!” Maka rushed over to him, pressing her hand to a deep puncture wound in his abdomen. “We need to get you back now!”

“Working on it,” he muttered, but his face was pale and sight unfocused. Maka wrapped her arm around his back and drew his arm over her shoulders. They staggered down the hall to a back servent’s door Black Star had mentioned earlier.

“What about the Chancellor? And Spirit?” Soul asked, dragging his feet next to her.

“Stein will have to think of something later. You need to be looked at first. Spirit knew to find his own way back to the Guild.”

They stumbled out the back door where a dark carriage waited for them. Tsubaki was in the driver’s seat, her head covered with a cloak. “What’s wrong?” she asked, getting ready to climb down. 

“No!” Maka said, shoving Soul into the carriage. “Just drive! We need to get him to Stein.”

“OK!” Tsubaki picked up the reins and they raced away from the Chancellor’s property. They could see Royal Guard and their horses outside the front door when they rounded the street. They must have been called for the fight Spirit picked with Wes. Definitely not the first time Spirit has had the Guard called on him.

“Faster!” Maka called out to Tsubaki as Soul’s eyes drifted closed. 

“I’m going as fast as I can! There are Royal Guard everywhere!”

Maka knew Tsubaki couldn’t bring more attention to them than had already been drawn. They had to make it back to the guild without being followed. Arriving dead was better than arriving with a tail. 

Stein would make sure of it.

Finally, Maka could hear the wheels of the carriage hit the dirt path of the Guild’s driveway. The horse skidded to a stop and Black Star was already lifting Soul out of the carriage. He was unconscious and his skin was growing more grey by the minute.

And after all that, Soul was out of Maka’s sight and she was told to _not follow_.


	4. Chapter 4

After Stein sewed up Soul’s wounds, he still didn’t allow Maka to see her partner. Said something about he needs to rest and _you have more important duties than sitting by his bed_. Such duties included explaining to Stein what exactly happened in the Chancellor’s office.

“You said his eyes turned black and shadows physically harmed you?” Stein asked, looking out his window while Maka sat on the chaise lounge.

“Yes,” she answered, absently touching the bandaged cut on her cheek.

“Soul’s wound was too clean to be a blade. The edges were precise. If you hadn’t mentioned the shadows I would never have known what stabbed him. This is extremely concerning. I had hoped the rumors weren’t true.”

“What rumors?” Maka stood and her fists clenched. “You _knew_ we may have been walking into that?”

“Of course I suspected. It’s the whole reason I sent Spirit with you. Fat lot of help he was. I’ll have to take the bail money out of his pay.” Stein still refused to look at her.

“How did you know he had powers?”

“I had heard rumors that someone was experimenting on the common folk. People were disappearing at an alarming rate, and eventually someone was taken who was missed by immediate family. When they were found, their eyes were black like the Chancellor’s. The shadows ‘weren’t behaving properly,’ is what the Royal Guard had reported.”

“How can this be possible? Magic doesn’t exist!” Maka protested, but the look on Stein’s face told her that wasn’t true.

“Magic has existed for a long time. The witches who can practice have just been hiding in plain sight. You would never know if you met one on the street, and that’s how everyone likes it.” Stein stood and faced out the window. “But every once in a while one decides their life in hiding isn’t good enough and tries to be more. Humans are inevitably the victims.”

“If this has happened before, then why don’t more people know about the witches?” Maka asked.

“It always gets covered up, and it’s only happened twice in the past 200 years.” Now Maka knew what Stein has been reading all this time. History records. “I want you to find the witch responsible and stop her.”

“Is it a contract?” Maka’s eyes narrowed. Taking free work was bad for business, even if this witch was a terror to mankind.

“No, but I trust you would be angry if I sent someone else to exact revenge for Soul.”

Damn it, he was right. She would never let someone else avenge her partner. “I’ll find her.”

“All the information I have is in your room. Recruit whoever you need to if you need help. Soul will be out of commission for quite some time.”

That simple statement sent a spear straight through her heart. This never would have happened if she had left the Chancellor’s office when Soul told her to.

Maka developed her plan over the next couple of days. Stein had done a remarkable job gathering intel on this witch named Medusa. It seemed that even her fellow witches thought she had gone off the rails. They had willingly given Stein this information on her in exchange for protection from the Guild.

A knock sounded on Maka’s door. When she opened it, Tsubaki was standing there and Black Star was leaning against the opposite wall.

“We want to help,” he said, glaring at the floor. “Soul’s my friend too.”

Maka nodded. This wouldn’t be a one-man job anyway. “I’m going in tonight to Medusa’s lab. If this intel is right, she should be home. We can confront her and maybe find out how to stop more possessions.”

Tsubaki nodded. “We’ll be with you.”

That night, the three of them walked out of the Guild’s mansion and ran down back alleys until they reached the other side of town. A carriage would have been too conspicuous. They moved swiftly and silently. Near the city wall, a large, square, sturdy building looked non-descript on the outside. There were no windows and only 2 doors, one each on the south and east sides. 

Maka landed on the roof while Black Star and Tsubaki landed on the next building’s roof. No one seemed to be home in this area of town, but the houses and stables were in good repair. Shouldn’t someone be home sleeping at least?

_I don’t like this_ , Tsubaki signs to her from the other roof.

_We don’t have much of a choice_ , Maka signs back, and slowly approaches the skylight in the center of the roof. They’re best chance of survival was the element of surprise. No one knew how powerful this witch was, so they had to be cautious but quick in their attack. If Medusa was able to get one spell out, they would be done for.

She crept up to the edge, keeping low and peeking into the window. She could see dried plants hanging along the ceiling and walls, books lining the shelves and haphazardly lying open on tables. Arrows were painted in jagged lines randomly across the floor and walls. She signaled, _All clear_ , and kicked open the skylight. Black Star and Tsubaki jumped down from their roof and kicked in the south door, closest to the city wall. 

Tsubaki immediately threw in a smoke-bomb, filling the space with a thick, grey smoke. This covered Maka’s drop into the lab and she immediately flattened herself to a wall. Tsubaki and Black Star started searching the lab, but Medusa was nowhere to be found.

“Where is she?” Maka hissed, but then the smoke cleared in an instant. It should have taken _hours_. All three turned to the open door, where a woman with long blonde braids stood. She wore a black loose-fitting jump-suit, something that must have been tailor-made. She stood with feet shoulder-width apart in a subtle defensive stance. She was ready for a fight.

“My, my. Some young adults have come for a lesson?” She smirked and stuck her hands out in front of her. “I don’t recall having you in my schedule!” Black shadow-like arrows shot out from her fingertips and scattered toward the young assassins. 

Maka dove for the floor and rolled out of the way. “The shadows will hurt you!” she called to Tsubaki and Black Star, having lost sight of them. Well, they’ve confirmed this woman is responsible for the shadow possession!

“Oh, you don’t like my kishin snakes?” the woman purred. “They’re so handy when I need other people to be my spies. It can be so cumbersome to go undercover. It’s so much easier when I can create any puppet I need to!” She shot out more of the arrows, and Maka had a chilling epiphany. If those arrows struck, they would become possessed just like the Chancellor!

Where were Tsubaki and Black Star? If they were fighting, she would hear it, but the only sound assaulting her ears was the fizzling of the shadow arrows. She leaned up against one of the low shelves scattered throughout the room. Where was the witch? Was that really Medusa as Stein’s notes indicated? Taking a deep, silent breath, Maka peeked around the corner. She made eye contact with Medusa right away and she barely got out of the way of the arrows in time.

“Oh, how I would love to get some spies within Stein’s very domain! I know he’s been researching me and asking too many questions. He won’t be able to gather more information from those witches anymore!”

Stein’s witch network must have been targeted. When had that happened? Was his information reliable? Had they walked in on a trap or was Medusa coming home now just a coincidence?

“Yahoo!” Black Star’s cry jolted Maka into action. He had leapt from a shelf and wrapped his arm around Medusa’s neck. “Got her! Tsubaki!”

Tsubaki dashed out from behind another shelf and was about to stab the witch in the heart, but she stumbled through empty air. 

Medusa had somehow moved too fast for anyone to see, and now Black Star was hitting the ground with a grunt.

“Black Star!” Tsubaki cried out, but it was too late. Medusa covered his face with her hand and he screamed. Arrows appeared along his arms and face and any other exposed skin before fading away. He calmed under Medusa’s hand and she let him slowly stand up.

“Black Star, was it?” she asked, but their friend didn’t answer. He merely stared ahead. “Get them out of my house!”

“Yes, Lady Medusa,” Black Star responded flatly.

Maka grabbed Tsubaki and dragged her out of the way before one of Black Star’s throwing daggers embedded in her face.

“We have to go!” she shouted, pulling Tsubaki along and heading for the open door.

“No! We can’t leave him!” Tsubaki cried, but Maka didn’t have to struggle to pull her along. Black Star’s partner knew this was a battle they weren’t winning. Black Star was one of the best assassins in the Guild, after all. They burst through the door and immediately bolted out of the alley. There was no time for stealth. 

Black Star didn’t follow, and Maka knew exactly when Tsubaki realized it. She collapsed to her knees next to a shop, tears streaming down her face. “We have to go back for him!”

“We can’t beat him on our own. We need help.” Maka knelt next to Tsubaki, rubbing her back as she cried. Emotion was not encouraged in the Guild, but _everyone_ knew Tsubaki fiercely cared for her partner. There would be hell to pay.

“We’re going to regroup and plan this out. We’ll have to go back and see if we can capture him.” Maka knew this logically, but it would take everything in their power to bring him in alive. On the other hand, killing him just might be a kindness.

“How will we get him back? Can we get those shadows out?” Tsubaki asked as Maka encouraged her to stand. They jogged back to the Guild to report.

“I don’t know.”


	5. Chapter 5

Stein could give them no answers. Everyone who has been possessed so far has been killed, but no one has attempted to purge a kishin possession yet.

“I will do research and let you know. Until then, _no one_ is to attempt to contact Black Star or Medusa until I say so.”

That was two weeks ago. Soul was back on his feet now and taking his aggression out on the training fields. 

“If I had been there-”

“No, there was nothing you could do. Medusa can infect you with the kishin possession with just a touch. It only took a few seconds. There was nothing anyone could have done,” Maka said as she watched him beat the shit out of the straw-filled dummy. She had already restuffed it twice for him this morning.

“Has Stein told us _anything_ yet?” Soul gave one last roundhouse kick to the dummy, popping off its head before turning to Maka.

“No. Nothing,” she was sitting cross legged at the edge of the smaller training ring they were in, flipping through her notes on Black Star’s case. She had compiled everything she had researched before and seen during their mission to Medusa’s lab. No matter how many times she read through it, added details, or crossed out mistaken information, she couldn’t find a way to sneak in again.

“When we do go back, stealth won’t work. Medusa won’t let us surprise her again. We’re going to have to use a full-frontal assault.”

“Maka, we’re an _assassins_ guild. We don’t exactly do frontal assaults.” Soul came and sat next to her, resting his forearms on his bent knees. Maka glanced over without moving her head. When had his forearm muscles become so defined? Has he always been that strong?

“I know, but there’s not much choice in the matter. Medusa was able to overcome the three of us in no time at all. Stein and Spirit may be able to give her a challenge, but no one will be sneaking into her lab again.

“So we don’t go for her lab. We track her somewhere else where we have the home court advantage.”

Soul’s remark lit up a memory from the mission that night. 

_Oh, how I would love to get some spies within Stein’s very domain!_

“That’s it! We need to lure her here!” Maka stood and nearly dumped her notes in the process. Soul was much slower as he stood and followed her back into the mansion. He wasn’t sure where her train of thought had taken her, but the kitchen would be his first stop before any plan-hatching could occur.

**********************************************************************

Maka and Stein developed a plan to encourage Medusa to leave a spy in their guild. It would take some time, and they could only hope Black Star had that much time. There was no telling what the kishin curse was doing to him the longer he was possessed. 

Stein kicked Maka out of his office for the third time that week. She knew he wouldn’t listen to her anymore, so she went and found Soul. “Want to go gather intel with me?”

“I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to be in the same city district as Medusa, let alone actively spying on her,” Soul pointed out, making no move to get up from his sunny patch of grass in the courtyard.

“We’re not going after Medusa, we’re going to go find Tsubaki.”

That made Soul sit up. Tsubaki had vanished immediately after making her report the night of the mission. She hadn’t helped with any of the research, and she hadn’t returned to the mansion. Usually, Stein would put out a kill order for any deserter, but he seemed to be making an exception. Even if he had put out the order, _no one_ would dare cross Tsubaki. She was nearly as deadly as Maka and Black Star. Even so, Maka couldn’t count on winning in a fight against Tsubaki. 

“Do you have any leads?” he asked, and Maka nodded.

“She’s still in the city, casing out Medusa’s laboratory. It’s amazing that she hasn’t been discovered yet. I only heard through Stein that she was seen during the day at the coffee shop in the district.”

Soul shook his head. “There’s no way she would let herself be seen if she was directly defying Stein’s order to leave Medusa alone.”

“And that’s why we’re going to go find her. I think she’s found something worth seeing, and it’s not at Medusa’s lab.”

Soul nodded. “You’re always the planner. Lead the way.”

Within the hour they were sneaking out of the mansion. Stein just might find an excuse to kill them if he found out they were seeking out Tsubaki. They immediately headed to the block where she was seen last and each bought a cup of tea and a biscuit. Settling in at a table, Maka and Soul casually watched the other patrons. Tsubaki was nowhere to be seen, but they expected nothing less. She would appear only if she wanted to be found.

“What if she doesn’t come back here? What if she wants nothing to do with us?” Soul asked, crunching into his biscuit. “And who makes biscuits this hard? Should have gotten the scone.”

“If she doesn’t show we’ll try somewhere else. She could really help us in the mission to get Black Star back, and I’m worried about her.”

“It’s not like she’ll do something reckless. Tsubaki has the most level head I know.”

“Oh, I agree.” Maka stretched her arms and long black hair caught her eye. Sure enough, Tsubaki was in line to buy tea. “She’s in line. Guess she wants to talk to us.”

Tsubaki sat at their table once she had her steaming mug in hand. “Why are you two here?”

“To check on you,” Soul said, leaning forward. “We’re not going to ask you to come back, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Tsubaki nodded. “Good. Stein sent out my deserter kill order yet?”

Maka shook her head. “I think these are extenuating circumstances.”

“Have you learned anything?” Soul asked, finishing his tea and setting the mug aside.

Tsubaki shook her head. “No, nothing. Medusa has vanished. She must have a second location somewhere outside the city.”

Maka knew there was no word of Black Star, or Tsubaki would have gone after him already. “Then how do we separate Black Star from Medusa so we can cure him? Surely she isn’t keeping him locked up? Why possess his soul unless she’s going to use him?”

Tsubaki shook her head. “I haven’t heard anything. There’s been no sight of him since they went underground.”

Soul opened his mouth to state the obvious in that Black Star’s usual obnoxious method of operation wouldn’t apply anymore when his eyes widened in shock. “Heads up!”

Maka immediately ducked her head, and the rock flew right where her eyes would have been. The window to the shop behind her shattered and glass fell all over the trio.

“What was that?” Soul asked, but Tsubaki was already up and staring. In the center of the square, Black Star stood with a sling-shot. He loaded another stone and pulled back.

“Everyone out!” Maka yelled, and the civilians scattered. There was chaos, but Black Star didn’t fire. Obviously Medusa wasn’t out to cause mass panic. She had targeted this location because it was where they were meeting. As soon as the shop had cleared, Black Star let the stone fly right at Tsubaki. She ducked, but it scraped her cheek. Maka knew Tsubaki could have easily dodged the attack if it hadn’t been coming from Black Star.

“Black Star! Snap out of it!” his partner screamed, but there was no recognition in his eyes.

“Tsubaki! Let’s try and overwhelm him!” Maka shouted, and Soul rushed to the distraught assassin’s side. She would need all the backup she could take. Fighting your partner was not something anyone would willingly sign up for.

Tsubaki nodded and started to make her way to the other side of the square. They needed to finish this quickly and efficiently. And limit the structural damage to the town square. Attacking him from multiple sides might slow him down. Might.

Maka pulled out her throwing knives. It wasn’t her specialty, but she wanted to avoid hand to hand combat at all costs. Black Star would take her out in no time and then she’d be useless to help Tsubaki and Soul. She threw a single dagger as a warning. “Black Star! We can help you!” A quick peek told her there was no recognition in his eyes. How deep did Medusa’s possession go?

Behind him, Soul was prepared with his curved daggers and moving in. He couldn’t throw well like her, so close combat was his only option. With backup he might last long enough to let Tsubaki get in close.

And then the fight began. Soul held the daggers so they nearly laid flush to his forearm and when he attacked, the opponent not only got a hard blow but also plenty of lacerations. Usually, Soul immediately went for the kill shot. Not today. They couldn’t risk killing Black Star.

Of course, that gave Black Star the upper hand because Medusa had no reservations about killing them. Black Star only took one hit to the face before Soul was on the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

“Soul!” Maka shouted, rushing into the fight. He was no match for Black Star in this state!

Black Star’s attention immediately shifted to Maka. He seamlessly moved from fighting Soul to charging her. Maka fluidly moved out of his way and resumed the dance for survival. As she dodged and blocked his relentless attacks, she knew they weren’t going to be able to take him alive and possessed. They either had to release the possession or kill him.

Maka knew Tsubaki would never willingly kill Black Star. Just as she inhaled to yell to Tsubaki, Black Star stopped. He swayed, his eyes clearing of the blackness to look at Maka. The light dimmed, and he fell forward. Black blood poured from the around the knife sticking out of his back. 

Maka’s gaze shot to Tsubaki, whose arm was still outstretched from throwing Maka’s dagger that had been lost earlier. Tears poured down her cheeks as she realized what she had done. Tsubaki dropped to her knees, and the movement spurred Maka. She knelt and felt Black Star’s neck for a pulse, but there was none. She gently pulled the knife from his spine. It had pierced his spinal cord at the back of his neck, giving him a quick, painless death. She rolled him over and closed his eyes. 

“Let’s get him back to the Guild. We can care for him there.” Tsubaki approached as Maka spoke, so she stood up and jogged over to Soul, who was just stirring on the ground. Tsubaki knelt by Black Star, tears still silently falling.

“What happened?” Soul asked, sitting up and rubbing the obvious knot on his head. “Did he hit me?”

Maka stopped him from standing up. “You’ll be ok. I distracted him right when you passed out,” she said, and then sighed. “We won, but…”

Soul looked past Maka and saw Tsubaki crying over Black Star, and tears welled in his eyes. “No…” he whispered, but nothing else escaped from him. He knew what had happened, but didn’t know what to do about it. “How…”

She shook her head. “We need to get him back.”

Soul nodded and with Maka’s help, stood up. When they turned to Tsubaki, she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the Guild, all hands were on deck for the assault on Medusa. Thanks to Tsubaki, who was in the wind again, they knew where the witch’s secondary location was hidden. This time, Stein had released the kill order for Tsubaki’s desertion, but no one had claimed the job. Considering there was no reward, there was little chance anyone would actually dare to go after her. 

Maka knew the truth. Stein was hoping Tsubaki would come back once they avenged Black Star. However, they couldn’t be certain Tsubaki would help them when the plan went into action.

She was sitting beside Black Star’s bed where he lay unnaturally still. “I’m sorry,” she said, maybe for the thousandth time. “I wish we knew more. I wish we could have done right. We didn’t know enough about Medusa, and you were the one to pay for it.”

She couldn’t bring herself to hold his hand. She didn’t want to feel the cold in his skin. It had only been 1 week since the fight, and it was a miracle Black Star’s body was still in such good condition. Stein had called it “embalming.” Whatever that meant.

A soft knock attracted her gaze. Soul stood in the doorway. “May I join you?”

She nodded and Soul approached, his eyes on Black Star. Maka’s eyes didn’t leave Soul. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up to his ridiculous yelling every morning,” he said quietly. “I’m not used to waking up with the sun.”

Maka gently took his hand and squeezed. “We all miss him.”

“What are we going to do?”

Maka loved the _we_. Even if she hadn’t been a fan of a partner when she first became an assassin, she couldn’t ignore the fact that Soul was there for her through thick and thin. No matter her mood, no matter the situation, Soul was backing her up. And what had she done for him? Not enough, that’s for sure.

“We’re going to avenge him. We’re going to stop Medusa and get Tsubaki back,” Maka said as she looked up at him. 

“Let’s do this.”

**********************************************************************

Medusa’s secondary lab turned out to be her primary lab. It was bigger and more fortified than the location in the city. This lab was outside the city walls in a valley of the desert. This allowed some hardy plants other than cacti to grow, oddly enough. Maka couldn’t name most of the plants climbing up the walls of the concrete building. Underneath the vines, arrows were painted pointing in random directions. Some were straight, some curved, and others were bent at odd angles.

“Well, she’s not worried about being found if she’s this obvious with the decorating,” Soul muttered. He was kneeling next to Maka as they hid behind a boulder. “And what happened to ‘all hands on deck’?” He glared at the pair next to them.

Stein and Spirit were hiding behind another boulder not too far away. “With further consideration, we realized a targeted assault with a small team would have a greater chance of success than a full on attack. You two are the top team at the Guild right now behind myself and Spirit,” Stein explained. 

“And what happens if she possesses one of us? Then we have to fight one of the top people in the Guild!” Soul hissed, and Maka pushed him lightly. 

“Quiet! There’s movement.” The lights were flickering inside. 

Stein settled into his spot. “We’re going to wait until she’s asleep.”

“And what happens when she never sleeps?” Spirit asked sarcastically, but Stein didn’t seem to care.

“Then we’ll go ahead with plan B. You and I will distract her while Maka and Soul go in for the kill.”

Maka couldn’t help but wonder where the details were supposed to be in that plan B.

“Great. We’re dead,” Soul deadpanned, but then his focus returned. Maka could see the set of his shoulders and the calm in his face. “Better get some rest now.”

Maka nodded and settled in against the rock. She didn’t close her eyes, but she let her mind wander, going through the different scenarios that may happen once they attacked. Worst case scenario: Medusa immediately overpowers Stein and Spirit before coming after Maka and Soul. Would the witch attempt to possess them or just kill them? Medusa may benefit from having an assassin or two at her disposal, but would she keep four? Doubtful.

Best case scenario: Stein overpowers Medusa and they get a kill shot. There were countless in between scenarios where Stein kept Medusa busy but Maka and Soul were unable to get a kill shot. Medusa was obviously a skilled fighter and a strategic thinker. This mission would definitely be harder than any other she had attended so far.

Darkness fell and Stein shifted. The small movement was enough to rouse Maka from her thoughts and focus in on Medusa’s lair. “It’s time,” he said, and Spirit moved in to trail him. Together, the four made their way down the valley. They paused behind various boulders as they went, making sure there was no movement in the lair. The lights have been off for some time following a flurry of activity inside. She was definitely home.

They paused against the side of the building away from the high windows. Stein gave them a flurry of hand signals. Looks like they were abandoning plan A after all. They were going in quick and violent. Surprise her in her bedroom. When she was fighting Stein and Spirit, the larger threat of the pairs, Maka and Soul would go for the kill shot. They didn’t even have to get close. A well-aimed dagger or five would do the trick. They just had to prevent anyone from dying in the meantime.

Nodding, Maka and Soul made their way to the back of the lair, waiting for Stein’s signal. They would burst open the front door and give the distraction necessary for Soul and Maka to get in. Ideally, Medusa would never know Stein and Spirit weren’t working alone.

The front door splintered open, the sound cracking into the night. “Medusa!” Stein screamed, stomping his way through the building. 

“Oh, goodie. I lost my last assassin. You’ll do nicely as a replacement.” Medusa’s voice wasn’t near the door Maka and Soul were at, so they silently opened the door and slunk inside. Maka wondered why it was unlocked, but Soul pulled her aside and out of sight.

Stein and Spirit were on either side of Medusa, who was standing calmly in the middle of her kitchen.

“Why bother with me, Stein? I’ve left you alone all these years except when you sent your assassins after me. What changed?”

“You were encroaching on our turf. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize your handiwork? Soul possession has always been your specialty. I just hadn’t realized you finally perfected it. Usually you need to be holding the strings for your puppets to do anything.” Stein gave no clues that he knew Soul and Maka were inside. “Black Star was the last time you’ll ever possess another soul!” As one, Stein and Spirit leapt at her. She easily deflected their attacks with her shadows, but now Maka realized they looked like arrows. Obviously this lady had a type.

“Is that the best you can do?” she teased, but refused to go on the offensive. She was still too calm and aware for Maka to move against her. “Your students fight better than you! Have you lost your touch?”

Stein’s grin widened. “You think I’ve lost my touch? That just shows you have no idea what I’m capable of!” From under the back of his jacket he drew a wicked curved blade. “I’m going to cut you into so many pieces, your soul will fall apart!”

Stein launched at her again in tandem with Spirit. Before Maka could warn them, Spirit flew back and slammed against the wall. Stein was suspended in air by the shadows, struggling to move.

“Yes, I think you’ll do nicely as my new bodyguard.” Medusa’s grin widened to mirror Stein’s earlier expression. “Let’s get those pesky thoughts out of your head, shall we?”

Stein’s scream ripped through Maka, and Soul wrapped his arms around her as if he could shield her from the horror. It wasn’t until they heard Stein’s body drop that they dared to look. He stood up, his eyes completely black. 

“Please go kill Spirit before he wakes up.” Medusa’s voice was unnervingly cheery, but Stein immediately moved to obey.

“No!” Maka burst from her hiding spot and rushed Medusa, praying to everything she knew that killing the witch would stop Stein.

“Maka!” Soul leapt out after her and headed for Medusa with knives drawn.

“I was wondering when you two would show up. There was no way Stein would have arrived alone,” Medusa said, then flicked her wrist toward him. “Stein, kill these brats first.”

Maka backpedaled until she was facing Stein. This would not end well. She had never bested her teacher in a spar, and even then he would dial back his effort. She could feel Soul shaking next to her. They would not survive this fight. Not without a miracle.

And then Stein was coming at them. He was in front of her. And his knife sliced through her left shoulder as she dodged too late. A cry left her lips as she brought her own knife up in parry. He easily dodged. 

Soul came up behind him and tried for a headshot. Stein easily dodged and shoved Soul away. He focused back on Maka.

Tears welled in her eyes as she realized this was it. Stein was going to kill her and she had no idea if he was even conscious under the possession. “Stein! Please!” she cried, doubling her efforts to get an attack in. All she had to do was slow him down and she might have a chance.

Stein got in another hit. Her right bicep. He was systematically making sure she was weaker in her dodges and parries. And now her dominant arm was becoming weaker at an alarming rate. Her vision was starting to tunnel as she lost more blood. She abandoned attacking and was wildly looking for a way out.

“Finish her!” Medusa screeched, her intense focus never leaving the fight.

That’s when Tsubaki’s kusarigama erupted through Medusa’s side. The witch whirled towards her attacker. “How dare you!”

Maka saw Stein’s eyes flicker before the black consume them again. “Stein! Snap out of it!” she tried again, and it was obvious he was fighting the possession.

Tsubaki yanked her blade out and swung the chain. “You’ll pay for what you did to Black Star!” She launched the wicked angled blade again but Medusa was able to dodge just in time. Maka, Soul, and Tsubaki all saw she was moving slower. 

“Keep her busy!” Soul shouted as he joined Maka again. “We’ll get him knocked out before taking down Medusa,” he said much more softly. Maka nodded and they easily slipped into one of the partner moves they had practiced. Stein never knew about this attack, so hopefully he wouldn’t know what was coming until it was too late.

“Stein, we know you’re under all that black blood,” Soul said clearly, lightly stepping to the side to never show his back. “We need you to fight it in order for this to work.”

Maka worked around him the other way. They rarely succeeded in this move, but it was their only chance to take Stein down without killing him. “You practically raised us,” Soul continued, keeping the King of the Assassins’ attention on him. “When you wake up, you’ll regret everything you do here.”

“He can’t hear you,” Medusa said, her voice taking on a wheeze that signalled her lung was punctured. “You’ll never reach him.” She kept her eyes on Tsubaki, who was randomly tossing her kusarigama to keep the witch occupied.

This might just work, Maka thought, finally in position behind Stein. She would have to be quick. There was no way Stein hadn’t noticed her back here. Her vision wasn’t quite stable, but she was focused enough to do this.

“Oh, Stein,” Soul finally stopped moving. “We really don’t want to kill you. Spirit would be in charge and Maka may finally kill him for it!”

That was her signal. Maka launched into a roundoff and her legs wrapped around Steins neck. At the same time, Soul went for the scythe-like blade in Stein’s hand. Maka had already cut off his air supply, and he was weakening fast. If she could just hold on, he would pass out soon. 

Soul wasn’t fast enough. When Medusa cried out after another hit from Tsubaki, Stein managed to slice through Maka’s thigh. She screamed but managed to hold on. Stein dropped to his knees, and it didn’t take long for him to drop the blade and hit the ground. Maka grunted and rolled off, blood streaming down her leg.

Soul helped her up before dragging Stein out of the way. “One down.”

“One to go.” Maka turned to Medusa, who was bleeding from multiple shallow cuts now. Tsubaki’s face was calm with rage as she threw the chained blade again.

Maka drew the last of her knives. They were throwing knives, but they would have to do in close combat. She couldn’t risk hitting Soul or Tsubaki. Her wounds burned and throbbed as she lost more blood, but she couldn’t pass out yet. Medusa had to be dealt with.

Soul had Stein’s blade in his hands, blood splatter covering them all. “You won’t be possessing any more souls,” he said, using the opportunity to catch his breath.

“You three can’t take me, not if your precious King couldn’t,” Medusa taunted, but Maka could see her legs shaking. Medusa had lost more blood than she realized with Tsubaki’s continuous attacks.

The three assassins all dropped into attack stances. Tsubaki spun and curved her blade down, no longer bothering with shallow strikes. It was time to end this.

Medusa danced out of the way, but Soul was there to meet her. His blade met her side and more blood spilled. A stagger to the side met with Maka digging her dagger into Medusa’s leg. The dance continued, three on one until shadows erupted. Medusa’s last stand against them.

“I am more than any of you can fathom! I cannot be destroyed with mere knives!” The shadows struck, but without the accuracy of before.

“NOW!” Maka shouted, and Tsubaki threw her kusarigama. The blade hit true in the center of Medusa’s back, and the witch dropped. The shadows dissipated and Maka’s ears were ringing. 

Soul dropped Stein’s blade and his knees hit the floor. “It’s… over,” he breathed, his eyes wide as he stared at the floor. 

Tsubaki pulled her blade free and stood over Medusa. “Black Star…” she murmured, tears silently spilling down her face. 

Maka swayed and also dropped. Her vision was finally darkening as the adrenaline left her system. “It’s done,” she whispered, and unconsciousness took over.


	7. Epilogue

Maka woke to voices arguing around her. They were male. One was pathetically begging. The other was stern and resolute.

Opening her eyes, she found Soul standing beside her bed but facing the door. She was back in her room at the Guild. She was unsure of how she arrived there, but was thankful nonetheless that Soul was there with her.

Her father was in the doorway with flowers, obvious desperation on his face. “Just… let me put these by her bed and then I’ll leave.”

Maka brushed her hand against Soul’s arm. “I’m awake. He can come in.” Her voice was hoarse and faint, but they both heard her.

“Maka!” Soul whirled around and knelt by the bed. He gripped her hand in both of his and took a shaky breath. “We weren’t sure when you would wake up. I thought I’d lost you.”

Spirit stepped into the room, showing spectacular restraint by not rushing to her side. Tears welled in his eyes. “Thank god you woke up,” he murmured. “You lost so much blood, we couldn’t be sure…”

Maka didn’t need him to finish. She knew the risks when she had continued fighting while actively bleeding. She looked at Soul and gave a small smile. “I’ll be up at them in no time. I’ll have more time to think of a new move to put you on your ass. How long was I out?”

Soul chuckled and squeezed her hand. “I’ll look forward to it. You were out for three days.”

A knock on the doorway turned all of their heads. Stein and Tsubaki were standing there, the woman with more flowers. “How are you?” she asked, her smile portraying “relieved” but her eyes betraying the grief that still plagues her.

“I’ll be better in no time,” Maka said.

“Yes, you will, but only with bedrest,” Stein added, and his tone left no room for argument. Maka wouldn’t be leaving this room, or bed, anytime soon.

“Alright, everyone out,” Stein said, grabbing Spirit and dragging him out. “You can let her kick your ass later, and I’ll forgive you for letting Medusa possess me.”

“I did no such thing!” Spirits voice faded down the hall, leaving the three assassins in Maka’s room.

“Thank you,” Soul said, standing and approaching Tsubaki. “You saved us back there.”

Tsubaki sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry for disappearing when you needed me, but I needed to find Medusa on my own.”

Maka struggled to sit up, and Soul was at her side immediately. “Hey take it easy,” he murmured, but she sat up anyway.

“Are you here to stay?” Maka asked, and Tsubaki nodded. “Then there’s nothing to forgive.”

Tsubaki smiled and left the flowers on the table before walking out, closing the door behind her.

Soul sat on the edge of the bed and took Maka’s hand again. Since when was hand-holding a thing? Maka wasn’t quite sure, but she was sure that she liked it. “Maka…” he started, but she raised a finger to his lips.

“I’m going to be ok. And so are Stein and Spirit and Tsubaki. And so are we.”


End file.
